Lovers and (Just) Friends
by carolinagirl919
Summary: The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away. -Wilson Mizner Looking at the three women in his life dressed up as bait to attract a stalker seemed like a good idea at first... "I think this might work," he whispered to Finch. Only now he wished that it hadn't worked so well.
1. Chapter 1

**_The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away.  
-Wilson Mizner_**

Looking at the three women in his life dressed up as bait to attract a stalker seemed like a good idea─ _at first_. John had seen Shaw in dresses enough times during their work undercover, and he'd seen Zoe in a dress nearly every time he saw her… and she'd come out of her dress nearly every time he saw her as well. But he'd never seen Joss like this. She was always an attractive woman, but last night she was stunning. He tried not to stare at her in the form fitting dress she wore. "I think this might work," he whispered to Finch. Only now he wished that it hadn't worked so well.

"_Just once, I wish you fellas would call with something that didn't require a firearm."_

"_Why? Are you not carrying?"_

"_I know better than to show up unprepared."_

John had been on full alert last night when he thought she wasn't carrying. He felt his anxiety levels reaching unparalleled heights and he wasn't sure why. He knew Joss was a strong woman who was very capable of taking care of and defending herself, but there was a part of him that needed to protect her and make sure she was safe.

"_This is our chance, Detective Carter. Please say yes."_

"_Yes."_

He was outside the club last night, so he wasn't able to see Ian approach her. As he paced back and forth on the sidewalk across the street from the club's entrance, he could only listen to the open feed and hear him flirt with Joss and hear her flirt back. He knew she was simply doing her job, but her laughter sounded real. It sounded like she enjoyed his attention, and it annoyed him. He was sure that creep, that stalker ─ _Ian_ didn't seem to mind her attention either. In John's mind, this predator was leering at her as their conversation went on. He continued to pace to try to shake himself of this… this… _feeling_ he had. He knew what it was, but was in denial about what it could mean.

"_Heads up partner, our guy's watching you…. Now he's tailing you."_

After, Joss left the club, he and Fusco saw Ian tail her and start to follow her. With all his senses still on high alert, he went the opposite direction as Fusco followed Ian. His long strides were fast paced and he willed himself not to run, in order to meet Joss on her way and cut off any potential danger Ian could bring her way. He paced around the block and saw Joss walking up the street. She looked scared; truly scared. This wasn't Detective Carter speeding up her pace with fear in her eyes; it was Joss Carter the woman. He could see that Joss the woman was exposed, carrying or not. The "armor" of her police uniform or her traditional detective gear was missing so the swagger he usually saw was not in place that night.

"_He's still on your tail so don't go home, okay?_

"_Where am I supposed to go, Fusco?"_

John crossed the street to meet her as she crossed. Her pace was faster now and she turned her head to see if Ian was still following her, not paying attention to look ahead. Her guard was down. She ran right into him and was very startled. The look of relief on her face told him she was very happy to see that it was him.

He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose her. Their bond, while currently strained, meant so much to him. Probably more than he'd like to or would want to admit. This wouldn't be Jessica again. He wouldn't let anything get in the way of being there for her. He wouldn't be too late this time. She wouldn't be alone.

He wondered if she still knew that.

"Are you okay?" He couldn't take his eyes off her. She was there, she was safe, and she was with him.

"Yeah. I'm good. Where'd he go?" she asked, still looking over her shoulder.

"I saw the guy disappear up the street. It's safe to say that if he was looking for his next victim, he found her," Fusco said with concern. "I don't think it's safe for you to go home, Carter. I don't trust that guy."

Joss took a deep breath and stepped back, crossing her arms across her chest. "You said it yourself, he disappeared. I'll be fine."

John wasn't going to let that happen. "No, you're staying at the safe house tonight."

Joss looked at him with her arms still crossed but said nothing. She allowed him to drive her to the safe house, and was a woman of very little words for the rest of the night. Getting her to talk about anything was like pulling teeth.

Shaw came by the safe house this morning with a change of clothes for Joss and to relieve John of his duties as her bodyguard or, guard dog as she sardonically called him. He let her know that she wasn't needed and he asked her to meet up with Finch at the library for more intel. He would stay with Joss until her date tonight. Now they were at Lyric's Diner for breakfast and she hadn't said much to him.

For the first time in the push-pull story of their friendship, John was genuinely concerned. She was keeping something from him. She wouldn't open up. To an outsider, she seemed fine. After being demoted, she "kept calm and carried on", but he knew better. Something had changed. She was no longer the Joss Carter he once knew.

She was still distant. She sat across the table from him and engaged in small talk. Anytime he would ask her how she was, she'd give him the same response. It almost felt rehearsed, it was so shallow.

"John." She looked at him and made eye contact briefly. "Like I told you all the other times you've asked, I'm fine." She broke eye contact and looked away from him, watching the passersby outside their window at the booth where they sat. "I'm still a cop. Always will be," she said with resignation in her voice.

John decided not to push the issue any further. It was clear that she wasn't ready to open up to him yet. He wasn't sure how to address the elephant in the room, but he knew he had to do something. He still had questions on how she was able to get information on the Russian diamond fence. He had a feeling that whatever source she was using, wasn't the kind of source she should be dealing with. She was walking on dangerous ground. It made him feel uneasy that she'd keep anything from him. He wouldn't know how to protect her if he didn't know what to protect her from.

To make matters worse, she was putting herself in danger by going on this date with Ian tonight and they still weren't sure how much of a threat he was. Ian by all appearances was a hunter and he chose Joss to be his prey. They both needed to keep their guard up and stay vigilant tonight. He wanted ─ no he needed ─ whatever this distance or standoffish attitude he felt coming from her to be gone. He wanted to be able to sit and talk to her like they used to, but he didn't want it like this. Sitting in their favorite diner and talking over a cup of coffee, by all appearances looked the same, but it wasn't. It felt... superficial… forced, at least from her.

After a long period of silence between them, Joss spoke again. "John, you know you don't have to babysit me all day. I'm capable of taking care of myself. You stayed with me all night. Why didn't you let Shaw relieve you? Does Finch know about this?" Joss asked as she continued to look out the window, sipping on her coffee as she waited for him to answer.

He looked down at his hands as he fiddled with the paper napkin and looked up at her. She wouldn't even look at him. It was almost as if she refused to do so. It felt as if she was drifting further and further away from him. He decided to give a more diplomatic answer.

"We don't know if he is going to follow you and track you down again, Joss. I don't trust him to not make a move and I don't want to give him the opportunity."

"You didn't answer my questions," she said with a hint of irritation in her tone. She finally turned her attention to him.

He feigned ignorance of any wrong doing. "I didn't?"

She smirked at him and took another sip of coffee. A smirk. It wasn't a smile but he'd take that for now. He gave a smirk of his own and tapped his earpiece to answer an incoming call from Finch.

"Mr. Reese, Ms. Shaw and I have discovered some new information about Ian Murphy."

John automatically became tense. "What is it, Finch?"

"Perhaps it will be best to share with you and Detective Carter. We'll meet you both at the safe house to discuss the best course of action to take tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

"I need clothes," Joss finally said after another lull of silence in the car. They were headed back to the safe house from Lyrics. In a few hours, they were supposed to meet with Finch and Shaw and work out the plan for tonight's "date."

"I don't understand. Shaw brought you clothes. What else do you need?"

Joss looked down at her current attire. A pair of jeans, a simple grey tee shirt, and a pair of work boots. The outfit was as simple as it was comfortable, but she couldn't wear this on a date with Ian. "I need clothes for my date tonight."

John felt irritation prickling at his heart as he gripped the steering wheel harder and looked ahead to focus on the traffic. Keeping his voice as level as he could, he softly replied, "What's wrong with what you're wearing? You look fine, Joss."

She scoffed. "As comfy as these jeans are, they aren't exactly _date_ attire. Just make a quick stop by my apartment so that I can find something."

"I really don't see the need for you to change."

Joss noticed his knuckles had turned white from his grip on the steering wheel, but said nothing. He'd been on edge and breathing down her neck since last night. She knew he was concerned about her going on a fake date with who they thought was a potential serial killer, so she ignored how tense he was. Fake date or not, she couldn't show up as is. She needed to play the part and in order to play the part she needed better attire.

She sighed in exasperation. "John." She turned to look at him.

He felt her looking at him but kept his eyes on the road. "What?"

"Just stop by my place. We're about five minutes away; it won't take but a few minutes."

"Fine."

* * *

Joss sorted through the dresses in her closet. A few were dresses she'd worn on the dates she had with Beecher. A few were dresses she'd bought for more dates, but never had a chance to go out on. She pulled out a beautiful red dress. A Roberto Cavalli sleeveless, wrap style dress with ruching to accentuate her curves, a small split in the back of the dress giving her room to walk, and a v-neck low enough to show the girls without showing them all. It was a beautiful bright red, perfect for the warm summer night and sexy, but not too sexy. She smiled as she held the dress against her body in front of the full length mirror. It would hug her curves perfectly but wasn't as tight as the dress from last night.

_I wonder what kind of shoes I should wear?_ _This is perfect_ she thought, completely unaware of John standing at the open door of her bedroom leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. She turned around and was startled to see him there. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves as her hand flew to her chest. "You have _got_ to stop doing that, John."

John frowned as he took another look at the red dress in her hand. "Is that what you're wearing tonight?"

Joss smiled as she held up the dress to admire it once more. She'd been waiting for a chance to wear this dress for a while, and now she had the chance. Fake date or not. "Yeah. I think it's perfect."

John felt more on edge and his annoyance with this entire situation was reaching unhealthy levels. _Why is she smiling? This date isn't real. She's not really into this guy is she? She needs to focus._ "I disagree. It sends the wrong message. It's just dinner, Joss. He's not taking you anywhere special."

Joss raised an eyebrow and eyed him curiously. "So what are you saying? That I don't know how to dress for a dinner date. It's a simple dress, John."

He looked at the dress and looked at her and pictured her in it. In his mind she looked even more amazing than she did last night. And he'd be damned if Ian got to see her again looking like or better than she did last night... "It's not a simple dress. Choose something more… conservative."

"Conservative?"

"Yeah, something a little less…" He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry as images of her in the dress and suddenly out of the dress crossed his mind. "Adventurous. We don't know what will happen tonight so you need to have on something where you'll have the ability to move freely and defend yourself if needed." He hoped he sounded reasonable even though he knew he wasn't being rational.

No response. She was staring at him. Trying to read him. He held her gaze but lost the battle as he looked away. Perhaps he didn't sound as convincing as he thought. "I'll wait in the living room."

"Yeah… I think that's a good idea."

He turned to leave not knowing that Joss watched his back as he walked away. She took another look at the dress and sighed. _Maybe some other time_. She put the dress back in the closet and pulled out her favorite pair of jeans, a black shell, and a lightweight blazer. _Some other time_.

* * *

More silence. Uncomfortable silence. He watched as Joss sat on the couch and played Candy Crush on her cellphone as they waited for Finch and Shaw to arrive. There was a knock on the door. _Thank God._

John answered the door to let Shaw and Finch in, and Joss finally looked away from her cellphone giving them her full attention.

"Hello, Finch." She smiled and welcomed them as they took their seats in the living room. "Shaw, nice to see you again. No hangover?"

"Never. I told you my body runs on Diesel. I handle it like a pro," Shaw replied with a smirk.

"When this is all over, maybe we can hang out… I'm going to the range next Saturday if you wanna join me. Bring your Nano. I want to try it out."

John couldn't believe it but Shaw was actually beaming from ear to ear.

"Sure, just let me know the place and the time. I actually know this really cool place in Chelsea where we can go─"

"I'm sorry ladies, as much as I hate to interrupt the bonding here, we do have a more important matter to discuss," Finch interrupted.

John smirked at the exchange. Finch hated guns.

"While you were out this morning," Finch turned to shoot a look at John, "Ms. Shaw and I discovered that the money Murphy received nine years ago came from a shell corporation out of Switzerland funded by Bruce Wellington, not from an uncle as he claimed."

"The GPS map of Ian's SIM cards shows that he was in the Hamptons last week on the same day of Dana Wellington's funeral," Shaw added.

"The article in his house," John added, putting the pieces together. "Maybe he was going back to the scene of the crime. Or possibly extorting the Wellington family."

"Yes, Mr. Reese. We were thinking among the same lines. What we need from you, Detective Carter, is to get more information from Murphy tonight."

"It shouldn't be a problem. I've interrogated worse people. Ian seems harmless," Joss replied in a cavalier tone.

_Harmless? This man is a stalker and possible killer, but he's harmless?_ John was livid. Apparently the irony of those thoughts was lost on him. He took slow deep breaths to reign in his anger at her careless response and moved forward with the reason for the meeting.

"Shaw, did you find a place to set up where we can get a view into Murphy's place?"

"Yep. I'll be there as Joss' backup with my rifle, and you'll be standing at the building below ready to head to the apartment if needed."

"Detective Carter, I've also brought an ear piece for you so that you are able to conspicuously communicate with Ms. Shaw should you not be able to openly request assistance." Finch limped slowly over to Joss to give her the new ear piece and they spent the next hour going over details on how the night would go.


	3. Chapter 3

Joss took several long, deep breaths to calm her nerves as she walked down the hall to Ian's apartment. They had a plan in place and she had her sidearm with her, so she knew she'd be fine. It's just that it was now or never and she knew she needed to have the right mindset going into this. She had to play the part. If he was a serial killer like they thought, she would feel the satisfaction of catching this guy and getting him off the streets. If he wasn't a killer, well… at least she'll get wined and dined by a reasonably attractive guy. It was a win-win scenario.

_Yeah, I'll go with that_, she thought. She stopped in front of the door to Ian's apartment and gave herself one last mental shake to get rid of her nerves. She knocked on the door.

After a few moments, Ian opened the door and smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Joss. I'm glad you made it." He looked her up and down appreciatively. "You look even more beautiful than you did last night, if that was even possible," Ian said as Joss crossed the threshold to enter his apartment.

She smiled softly. _Maybe I didn't need that dress after all._ "Another line, Ian?"

"Nope. Not even a little. Come on in and have a seat. I have a glass of wine with your name on it while I start dinner."

He led her to the kitchen and pulled out small stool for Joss to sit. She looked around the kitchen and took in her surroundings. "Nice place."

"Thanks." He took two wine glasses from the cabinet and poured her a glass of red wine from a crystal decanter. She took a slow sip after he offered it to her.

"Mmm. This is good. What's on the menu tonight?"

"Chilean sea bass. I can promise you it will be the best you ever tried," he said with a grin as he washed his hands to continue preparing their meal.

"Is that so?"

"If it isn't the best you've ever had, I promise to take you out to dinner on our second date."

She smirked. "That's very presumptuous of you to say. What makes you think there will _be_ a second date?"

He took the garlic out of the fridge and placed it on the cutting board to slice. "You're the type of woman that a man takes someplace nice. I bet you like to get dressed to the nines and paint the town red on your off time."

She gave a small, uncomfortable laugh at how accurate he was. It was flattering, yet creepy at the same time. She wondered what his angle was.

* * *

"What are you doing up here? You're supposed to be waiting in front of the building for my cue," Shaw complained as she glared at him. "I've got things under control up here."

John ignored Shaw and made himself comfortable as he stood next to her on the rooftop of the building across from Ian's apartment. He took the scope out of his pocket so that he could get a better view of what was going on inside Ian's apartment. He'd had enough of hearing what was going on, and what he heard, he didn't like. He needed a visual. He needed to see that Joss had her head in the game and wasn't actually falling for this creep's game. _Chilean sea bass? How unoriginal_, he thought bitterly.

He quietly watched as the "date" continued on.

* * *

"So… what else are we having?" She asked, trying to shake off her nerves. She took another sip of wine and tried to relax into the role.

He moved closer to her and added wine to his glass before answering. "Don't worry; nothing with tree nuts."

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. This was the second time tonight he was able to make an accurate assessment about her that she didn't tell him about. "How did you know I was allergic?"

He looked at her and said, "I pay attention. See, if more guys did that, they'd find the opposite sex less confusing."

"Hmm, that's not an answer," she replied with a tight smile as she held the glass of wine in her hand.

He turned his body to face her completely as he looked into her eyes. "You pushed away a little bowl of almonds at the club. Your face said it was out of protection so… severe nut allergy." He looked down to clink his glass with hers before taking a sip of wine.

* * *

As he watched Joss and Ian on their date through his scope, John hated every minute of it and regretted coming up to the rooftop to get a better visual. He initially thought he'd be able to handle listening in again tonight in order to stay on the ground to go up if necessary. He was wrong. If he thought it was bad last night when all he could do was listen in on them flirting at the club, it was worse tonight. Once he heard Ian try to get a second date from Joss, he had to move his feet. He had to make sure Joss had her guard up and was playing her role. He wanted to make sure the flirting wasn't as genuine as it sounded over the open line.

It was worse than he thought it would be. She seemed relaxed. Too relaxed. She was drinking too much wine and she wasn't focused. Ian was standing so close to her. Too close. He hoped like hell that Shaw had her trigger finger ready. How in the hell did he even surmise that Joss was allergic to tree nuts? With everything he thought he knew about her and all the time they'd spent together whether it was work related or just meeting to sit and talk like they used to, he never knew about her allergy. Several emotions hit him at once and none of them were good.

Anger, jealousy, and surprise.

He was angry that Ian knew so much about her already and that he knew things about her that he didn't know from almost two years of knowing her. He was jealous that Ian got to do for Joss that he wasn't man enough to ask for. He was jealous that it wasn't him that had Joss over for dinner, cooking for her, talking while having a glass of wine, flirting while getting to know each other on a more personal level. And he was surprised. He was surprised that Joss seemed open to Ian; that she was responding to his attention.

His grip on the scope became tighter as he continued to watch and stew in silence.

* * *

She let out another uncomfortable chuckle and replied, "You'd make a good detective."

"That's funny. I was thinking the same thing about you."

"What do you mean?" She eyed him closely as he picked up the knife and started slicing the garlic on the cutting board.

"The way you were watching everyone in the club. And I know your Angler profile says you're an Officer, but… you seem more like a Detective to me."

_Damn, this guy is really observant_. She looked down and tried, but failed at keeping the disappointment from showing on her face. "Well… I _was_ a Detective. Homicide. But I'm doing something different now. It's not where I thought I would wind up, but it's where I need to be right now," she finished as she looked up at him.

He nodded his head in understanding and moved towards Joss, carrying the knife he was using to cut the garlic. Joss' eyes stayed on the knife as she conspicuously reached for the gun in her purse, ready to defend herself if needed. He walked past her and opened the door to the fridge. Her senses were on full alert and her body was tense as she felt him behind her. She took another sip of wine to disguise the fear she was sure was on her face, but also to calm her nerves.

Shaw's voice buzzed in her ear. _"What's he doing? Should I shoot him?"_

"Not yet."

"What?" Ian closed the door to the fridge and turned to look at her. He held up the package he grabbed from the fridge. "Shitake mushrooms." He smirked at her. "I wasn't trying to make a move…" he walked back to the cutting board. "… _yet_."

She let out another chuckle, this time of relief as he grinned at her and continued to prepare their meal.

* * *

"She doesn't have her guard up," John spat, his voice filled with tension.

Shaw was annoyed with John and his antics tonight. Of the cases they'd worked on together, he was never this tense. "You're joking. That woman has a guard of steel." She suddenly thought about all the phone calls he had with Carter in her presence. The one time when he called Carter while they were in the middle of a police chase, just to ask how she was because he was worried about her. Or the time when he called her early in the morning telling her that if she needed to talk that he was there for her. She remembered how he walked away from her to get some privacy and how he spoke so softly to Carter, acting like the two of them were the only people that existed. It finally dawned on her. "You two have a thing or something? 'Cause I clocked you and Zoe right off the bat. But I never thought you with Carter─"

He did _not_ want to have this conversation with Shaw. Not now or ever. "We're _just_ _friends_." He took his eyes off Joss briefly to glare at Shaw. Hopefully this would end the discussion.

Not believing him the slightest bit, she replied, "Well, your _just friend_ is doing her job. She gets this guy to trust her, maybe he makes a move and we can finally shoot him."

They continued to watch the date between Carter and Ian, and she noticed his jaw tighten and saw the white of his knuckles as he gripped his scope. _Just friends my ass_, she thought and decided to drop the matter of his "just friendship" with Carter. She was sure she'd have more time to observe the two of them and make up her own mind about their relationship.

"So…how long have you and Zoe been 'special friends'?" Shaw hoped this would be a safer topic, since she knew he and Zoe were more than just friends.

John rolled his eyes, more than annoyed that once again his full attention was not on Joss. "Well, I haven't counted the days, Shaw. What about you? Any big dates lately?" he asked, not particularly caring, but asking to take the focus off him and put it back on her.

"Been too busy saving the world from bad guys. Besides relationships are for amateurs. Guys these days, they have so many…emotions. They cry; they want to be held. I just don't know what to do with them."

"So, you're a nun?" He asked, slightly amused.

"I'm a pragmatist, John. I go out, have a fun night, or three. And then, uh, I move on, you know? No muss, no fuss."

He smirked, remembering having the same mindset when he first started things with Zoe. It was easy. No muss, no fuss. He made sure that it remained that way. He wasn't ready for anything serious with her, nor did he _want_ anything more. Zoe was easy. She didn't ask for much and what they had was simple and at its most basic. Have drinks, scratch an itch. See each other again for another round.

But watching Ian wine and dine Joss made him want more than just a fun night. And he what he realized tonight is that he wanted more with her… with _Joss_. But how would he get more if she's shutting him out? Would she even want that from him? He was lost in his thoughts until Shaw had to get his attention again.

"John… John… _John!_"

He glared at her for taking him out of his daydream. "What?" He asked in annoyance.

"Get your head back in the game, Ian is walking her downstairs. You need to get there now, and I'll cover her up here."

John didn't need to be told twice, as he turned to make his way to the stairs and took them two at a time to reach the bottom floor of the building.


	4. Chapter 4

Joss had to admit it. Even though this date was not a real one, she had a good time. She actually enjoyed dinner with Ian. He was funny, attentive, and not a bad cook. And he had been a gentleman the whole night. He was able to get her to open up and try to enjoy the evening, even though he was unaware that there was a sidearm in her purse and they had an audience. She wasn't sure if he was the killer that John, Finch, and Shaw had suspected, but looks could be deceiving. Her gut was telling her there was more to his story than what he told her, and more to what they already knew about him. He wasn't a killer, but he was withholding something from them.

_If I was gonna be alone, I figured I'd do it on my own terms._

She could relate. She could most definitely relate.

He escorted her out of his apartment and they traveled in comfortable silence in the elevator. Shaw didn't have any visibility of them at the moment, but she was sure she wasn't in any type of danger on the elevator. Other than her anxiety and Shaw's over zealousness to pull the trigger, it was like an ordinary first date and he hadn't posed a threat. Her gut told her he wasn't a killer, but she'd been wrong about people before. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Ian noticed how tense she became.

"What's wrong? You got a phobia of elevators? Don't care for closed in spaces?" He asked with a smirk.

She gave him a genuine smile. "No. No phobias. I'm fine, Ian."

"Are you sure? You know I think I read somewhere that a good tip for dealing with an elevator phobia is to go through the alphabet and think of a girl's name that begins with each letter. Or in your case, think of a guy's name."

Joss chortled. "You can't be serious."

"I'm serious. I swear I read it somewhere online," he said genuinely as his Bostonian accent came out more prevalently.

"Right. Because everything you read online is true," she said sarcastically.

He took her sarcasm in stride and continued on. "We've got a couple more floors. Let's give it a try."

Joss stood silently and looked at him as she refused to participate. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything, he decided to take the lead. "Fine I'll start. A is for Allison. She was the first girl I ever kissed. I remember like it was yesterday. It was in the third grade, during recess, under the slide. B is for Bethany. She was the girl that lived next door in my old neighborhood in Southie. C is for… you know, I don't think I know any woman with a name that starts with C. How about you give it a try?"

Joss could only shake her head at his effort. "I don't know any women whose name starts with C."

"Okay, how about a guy?"

The bell dinged to alert them that they had reached their floor, and she inwardly sighed with relief. "No need to now. Looks like this ride is finally over."

"Can't blame a guy for trying, Joss."

She gave him a genuine smile and held his hand briefly, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting it go. "I appreciate the effort, Ian."

* * *

John waited in the shadows as he waited for Joss to make her way out of the building. _This guy just wouldn't let up_, he thought to himself as he placed his hand on the gun usually kept in the waistband at the small of his back. All he needed was a reason. He'd shoot _both_ kneecaps on the bastard.

He saw them leaving the building and watched as Ian escorted Joss to the sidewalk to wait with her until the cab showed up. He gave her another corny joke and Joss laughed. This time it didn't sound like the fake ones from earlier during dinner, and he couldn't help but think about what she said to Ian as they made their way outside after getting off the elevator.

_"I appreciate the effort, Ian."_

The effort? That's what she liked? Is that why she continued to let her guard down and act as if this was a real date? This guy barely knows her. Sure he was observant, but it's highly likely that he had a stalker folder on Joss and was playing to that research. Just the thought of Ian having a stalker folder of Joss set him on edge. He felt a fresh wave of anger wash over him as he pulled the gun from his waistband and held it pointing down to his side.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me out," Joss said as they came to a stop and waited on the sidewalk.

"I didn't want you waiting for a cab all by yourself. I know you're a cop..."

"But, you're a gentleman," she finished for him. And she meant that. He really was a gentleman. Working in a field dominated by men, she wasn't exposed to a lot of gentlemanly behavior. Cal had been a gentleman at the beginning. But soon after their first set of dates, things got so hectic at work and with helping John and Finch. It had been a while since they had gone out on a date before things headed south with their relationship. Before they could patch things up. Before he... She gave herself a mental shake from those thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

"I try… I had a really nice time with you tonight Joss," he said, meaning it. He felt a connection with her and he was looking forward to seeing her again. She had shown an interest in him, but he could still feel her holding back. He dismissed it as first date jitters. _She'll be fine on the second date_, he thought.

"Yeah, I did too. And you know what? You were right. That was the best Chilean sea bass I ever had," she said with a grin.

* * *

He kissed her. He put his fucking hands on her and he kissed her. And she kissed him back. This was _not_ a part of the plan. This is _not_ what they discussed at the safe house. The look on her face after the kiss revealed what John had suspected all along. They _had_ made a connection. This was no longer a fake date and that was a _very_ real kiss.

Before he realized it he was walking in their direction. Seeing red.

_"Slow down, cowboy. Carter's got this. And so do I."_ He heard Shaw in his ear, speaking with him over a private line.

"What?"

_"Go get the car and calm the hell down. If anything happens you are entirely too close to the situation if it escalates. I got this."_

His jaw clenched as he turned around and went to get the car. She was right. He knew it. And dammit she knew it also. He needed to calm the hell down. What exactly was he going to do when got over there other than give Ian a swift punch to the temple to knock him out blowing Joss' cover in the process?

* * *

It was just a simple kiss. A way to end the night and not blow her cover. But why did she like it? Why was she starting to like him? She started to say something, but Shaw buzzed in her ear.

_"Two bogeys coming your way, Carter."_

She looked over Ian's shoulder to see two men coming from the shadows holding hand guns with the intent to kill. She knew that she and Ian would be okay. Shaw was on the roof with her rifle, John was not too far away armed as always, and she had her own pistol resting snugly in her purse. She only hoped that Shaw would aim for the shoulder or the knees of these two guys. Not center mass. John told her about how unpredictable Shaw could be.

"Alright guys, no need for violence. Just take what you want." Ian turned his body to the two men and stood directly in front of Joss in a protective manner as he tossed his wallet in their direction. Even though she knew that she and Shaw could handle these guys, it was endearing to see him be protective over her, knowing that she was a cop with the ability to take care of herself.

The two men walked closer and one of the men spoke. "Unfortunately for you Ian, we're not here for your wallet."

The man pulled his gun up and aimed straight for Ian. Joss managed to pull her gun out of her purse while Ian blocked her actions from view.

_"Ready?"_ Shaw buzzed again in her ear.

"Ready, ready," she whispered. Joss gave a firm shove to move Ian out of the line of fire. She aimed her gun and took a shot at one of the muggers while almost simultaneously Shaw took a shot at the other. They shot the men in the shoulder and in the leg respectively.

"Nice aim, Shaw." Joss couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face.

"Back at cha." Shaw said with a smirk. She stayed for a few moments in case another threat arrived and then she began to dismantle and pack up the rifle.

Meanwhile, Joss knew she had to do damage control now that her cover was blown. "Ian, are you okay?"

"I'd be a hell of a lot better if you told me who you actually were Joss," he replied. His voice was filled with confusion and a mix of relief. "Who _are_ you?"

Joss sighed. "Ian..."

Before she was able to continue John pulled up with a nondescript sedan and came to an almost screeching halt. Joss didn't think he even had time to put the car in park before he stepped out of the vehicle, not bothering to close the driver's side door as he stormed over to them in long strides. He briefly glanced at the two men laid out on the ground writhing and groaning in pain from their wounds. He turned his complete focus back on Joss and walked straight to her, placing himself between her and Ian.

He reached out to touch her, wrapping his hands around her arms, his gaze on her unyielding. "Joss, are you okay?"

Joss noted the deep concern and was surprised by his behavior. It was very out of character to behave this way on a case. She gently stepped back, releasing herself from his grasp, unable to hold his gaze. "Yeah... yeah, I'm okay. We're... we're okay," she replied to give Ian a reassuring look.

He frowned at that answer and realized what she did. She was putting the focus off herself and back on Ian. _The number_. He compartmentalized his feelings at the moment and focused on the job... _finally_. "Call Fusco so he can pick up these two guys and take them in for questioning. Ian, you need to come with me. We need to get you somewhere safe."

Ian looked curiously at the tall man and wondered about the brief, yet intense exchange between him and Joss. What was their story and why was he here? "Who are you?" He asked John. "What's going on?"

"My name is John. It looks like whatever it is that you've been up to has finally caught up with you," he replied, not caring about the open disdain in his tone.

Ian was taken aback by the tall and menacing man in the suit who looked as if he wanted to kill him. "What? Whatever I've been up to?" He gave a look of confusion and decided to look to Joss for answers, not wanting to upset this John person any further.

Noticing John's sour mood and less than nice reply, Joss attempted to smooth things over. "Ian, you should come with us so we can figure out what's going on." She walked over to him and led him to the car by his arm. She opened the back passenger side door and guided him in as he took a seat, closing the door behind him. She turned to John, walked close to him, and kept her voice low. "What's with you, John?"

"I think you should wait here for Fusco. I've got this from here."

"Are you kidding me right now?" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, not wanting Ian to overhear. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "John." She opened her eyes and glared at him. "He's going to be more willing to answer questions from me."

"Of course he would," John snapped back.

Joss ignored the implication of his remark. "Shaw can wait here for Fusco. Let's go, John."

He watched as she turned around to walk back to the car. Instead of getting in the passenger seat in the front, she walked around the back of the car to the driver's side, opened the door and took a seat in the back next to Ian. He soon followed after, got back in the car, and slammed the door behind him before he drove off to the safe house.


End file.
